Mt Rainier hikes

1. Camp Muir

This hike begins at Paradise in Mt Rainier National Park. There are many routes from both the Upper and Lower parking lots, see the route maps section for more details. This is not a trivial hike, be prepared for a full day. Bring your ten essentials, and cold weather gear, no matter what the weather conditions at Paradise. Bring sun protection, the sun can be brutal when reflecting off the snow. Don't even think of hiking without glacier glasses.

Camp Muir 2011

It's nearly always possible to descend via ski or snowboard year-round, the route down is gentle and easy; a green or blue run at best, but there's ways to find trickier terrain. Get an early start for the best snow conditions on the way down.

Approximately 4.5 miles one way, but its the elevation to worry about, anywhere from 4,500 - 4,700 feet of elevation gain depending on where you start from at Paradise.

Route Maps:

The Mt Rainier National Park website has two very useful maps, the first is the Paradise trails map which highlights some of the ways you can take to get to Panorama Point, the standard rest stop on the way to Muir. Most of the time, these routes are under snow, so watch the tracks as well. The second is a bearing sheet, which could save your life in the event of a whiteout or other storm. Carry a copy and bring a compass.